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(No Model.)

VEHICLE BRAKE.

Patented May 8, 1888.

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UNITED STATES I PATENT OEEIOE.

DONALD E. BOWLING, OE LYNGEEURG, AND FRANK O. BARNES, OE

' ALLEGEANY SPRINGS, VIRGINIA.

VEHICLE-BRAKE;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,586, dated May a, lace.

l I Application filed June 30, 1887. Serial No. 243,009. (No model.) y

To aZZ whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that we, DONALD E. BOWLING and FRANK O. BARNES, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Lynchburg and Alleghany Springs, in the counties of Campbell and Montgomery and State of Virginia, have invented a new and 4useful Improvement in Vehicle-Brakes, of which the following is a speciiication'.: Y

Our invention relates to an improvementin l vehicle-brakes; and it onsists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle provided with a brake embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View of the same, lookingin the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view looking in the opposite direction.

A represents the running-gear Of a vehicle.

B represents the springs, and O represents the body of the vehicle. On the under side of the body, at opposite sides thereof, and at a suitable distance from its rear end, are bearings D, in which isjournaled a'rockshaft, E. The ends of the rock-shaft are turned downward and form arms F, and the lower ends of the said arms are bent outward to form spindles G, on which are pivotedbrake-blocks G.

H represents lever-arms which depend from the rock-shaft, and Irepresents coiled retractile springs, which have their rear ends attached to the rear bolster, or some other suitable part of the running-gear, and have their front ends attached tothe lower ends of the levers H. These springs normally draw rearwardly on the levers H, and thereby turn the rock-shaft so that the brake-blocks are caused to bear against the peripheries of the rear wheels. l

Near the center of the rock-shaft is a rear' ward-projecting arm', K, to the rear e'nd of which is fulcrumed a curved lever, L. The short upper arm of this lever is provided with an anti-friction roller, M, which bears against the bottom of the body, and to the long lower arm of the Said lever is attached a rod, N. The

lever L' is provided with a series of openings, O, whereby it may be. shifted `on its fulcrum, and thus caused to exert any desired leverage, as will be readily understood. Y

In the bottom of thebody, near the front end thereof, is a longitudinal slot, l?.

Rdrepresents a slide, which is arranged on the bottom ofthe body, and is guided and secured in position by a. keeper, S. vThe rear end of the said slide is bent downward and extends through the slot P, and forms an arm, T, to which the front end of the rod N is connected, and the front end of the said slidey is bent upward to form a vertical arm, U, having the horizontal lateral offset V projecting from one side.

W represents a ratchetbar having teeth on its upper edge. The front end Ot' the said ratchet-bar is pivotally connected to the front end of the body, and the rear end of the ratchetbar is provided with a pedal, X.

Y represents a vertical rod which projects Y upward from the bottom of the body and extends through an opening made in the ratchetbar. A coiled extensile spring, Z, is placed on the said rod and bears upwardly against the ratchetbar, thereby keeping-the latter normally in engagement with the Offset or shoullder V, as Shown in. Fig. 4.

The operation of our invention is as follows:

While the vehicle is moving on a level road or up a hill the slide R is moved forward, so as to cause its offset V to engage one of the teeth near the front end of the ratchet-bar, and thereby cause the lever L and the arm K to turn the rock-shaft against the tension of the springs, and thereby prevent the brake-blocks from bearing against the wheels. On going down a hill' the driver places onefoot on the pedal X, thereby depressing the ratchetfbar against the tension of the spring Z, thus'forcing the ratchet-bar todisengage thel offset V and release the slide, and the springs I there upon instantly turn the rock-shaft in the contrary direction, move the slide It rearward, and cause the arms F to apply the brakes G to the wheels.

Having thus described our'invention, we claim- 1. The combination of the depending arms F, mounted upon a rock-shaft and carrying the brake shoes or blocks at their lower ends, the springs to normally press the brake-shoes against the wheels, and the lever-connection to move the brakeshoes from the wheels against the tension of the springs, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the depending arms F, mounted upon a rock-shaft and carrying the brake shoes or blocks upon their lower ends, the springs to normally press the brakeshoes against the wheels, the lever in connection with the said brakes to move the same lfrom the wheels, and the detent W, engaging the said lever to lock the same, as set forth, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the rockshaft having the arms F, the brake-block attached to the said arms, the springs to normally press the brake-blocks against the wheels, the lever connected to the rock-shaft to turn the same, and thereby move the brake-blocks from the wheels, the slide connected to the said lever, and the ratchet bar or detent engaging the said slide, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the rockshaft having the arms F, the brake-blocks secured to the said arms, the springs to normally apply the brake-,blocks to the wheels, the arm K, projecting rearward from the rock-shaft, the lever L, fulcrumed to the said arm and having the anti-friction roller at its short end to bear against the bottom ofthe vehicle-body, the longitudinally-movable slide connected to thelong 35 arm of thelever, and means, substantially asset forth, to engage the slide, substantially as dcscribed.

5. The combination, with the rockvshaft, of the arms F, the brake blocks or shoes connected to the same, the springs to normally hold the brake-blocks against'the wheels, the lever L, having a roller,.M, the link K., and the connections to operate the lever L, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the rock-shaft E, the two depending arms F, secured thereto and carrying brake blocks or shoes at their lower ends, the levers H, connected to the rock'shaft, the springs I, connected to the lower ends of the levers H and to the wagon-frame, the lever L, having a frictional roller, M, at its upper end, the link K, adjustably connected to the lever L at one end andto the rockshaft at the other, the rod N, the lever T, and the detent W, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto aixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

DONALD E. BOWLING. FRANK O. BARNES. Witnesses as to signature of Donald E. Bowling:

JOHN H. LEWIs, H. F. BooooK. Witnesses as to signature of Frank O. Barnes:

' JOSEPH S. CAMPBELL,

ARCHIE H. WELLS. 

